Crohn’s & Colitis Glossary

An organ in the GI tract that connects the stomach to the large intestine, where most of the digestion of food and absorption of nutrients and minerals takes place.

A surgically created opening in the body where a part of the bowel (small or large intestine) pokes out of your abdominal wall and provides an opening for waste to pass through into an external ostomy pouch.

Suppository

Medication that is mixed with a waxy substance and shaped like a torpedo that is inserted through the anus and into the rectum. Once inside the body, it melts to release the medicine.

Symptom

A change in how you feel or your physical appearance that is a sign of illness or health concern.

Targeted Synthetic Small Molecules

Oral medications that help reduce inflammation by specifically targeting parts of the immune system.

Thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT)

A blood test for the activity of an enzyme that helps in breaking down certain medications – azathioprine and 6MP – and to establish safety and proper dosing of these medications.

Toxic megacolon

A severe complication associated with ulcerative colitis that leads to rapid enlargement of the colon and requires immediate treatment and surgery. Symptoms include pain, distension or swelling of the abdomen, fever, rapid heart rate, constipation, and dehydration.

Trigger Food

A food that can make your IBD symptoms worse – such as causing diarrhea, bloating, pain, or vomiting.

Ulcer

A break in the skin or lining of the GI tract. In Crohn’s disease, ulcers can occur anywhere between the mouth and the anus. In ulcerative colitis, ulcers occur in the colon.

Ultrasound

An imaging test in which high-frequency sound waves, not heard by the human ear, are transmitted through body tissues using a transducer, relaying pictures to a computer for display.